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<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://netscape.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5096998,00.html"> By Robert Lemos<br>
ZDNet News <br>
September 14, 2001 3:57 PM PT<br>
Groups of online vandals and hackers are split over how to respond to this week's terrorist<br>
attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, with some Internet vigilantes calling for an<br>
assault on perceived terrorist sites and others pleading for calm. </a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br>
<br>
More than 60 self-styled "computer security enthusiasts" have banded together to strike out against Palestinian<br>
and Afghani sites, according to a statement released Thursday by admitted online vandal The Rev and a group<br>
calling itself The Dispatchers. <br>
<br>
"We, as a group, of individuals, have taken a stand, armed with technology...to disable our target in every<br>
method possible," the group said in the statement. "As of September 11th, 2001, we have united to fight back<br>
and to show that we will not tolerate...this anymore." <br>
<br>
<br>
The message was sent by The<br>
Rev, who defaced in February the<br>
financial quoting service used by<br>
The New York Times. The Rev<br>
claims that several<br>
Palestinian-affiliated Internet<br>
service providers have already<br>
been disabled and that future<br>
attacks will target the online<br>
presence in Afghanistan. <br>
<br>
However, the Chaos Computer<br>
Club, a group of computer<br>
aficionados in Germany, learned<br>
of the plan and roundly criticized<br>
the call to arms. <br>
<br>
"The Chaos Computer Club<br>
strongly condemns this appeal<br>
and asks the public to ignore said<br>
appeal and similar ones," the<br>
group said in a statement. "Being a galactic union of hackers, we simply cannot imagine (dividing) the world into<br>
good and bad at this moment and use--of all reasons--religion as a criterion for such a segregation." <br>
<br>
Jens Ohlig, spokesman of the Chaos Computer Club, added in the statement: "We face this power of destruction<br>
and feel helpless. However, we believe in the power of communication--a power that has always prevailed in<br>
the end and is a more positive force than hatred." <br>
<br>
The vigilante reaction by online vandals does not come as a surprise to authorities. <br>
<br>
The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) issued an advisory Friday warning companies of<br>
increased hacking activity in the name of "patriotism" and of the spread of computer viruses that label infected<br>
files with names that relate to Tuesday's tragedies. <br>
<br>
"The NIPC reiterates that (such) conduct is illegal and punishable as a felony, with penalties extending to five<br>
years in prison," the warning said. "Those individuals who believe they are doing a service to this nation by<br>
engaging in acts of vigilantism should know that they are actually doing a disservice to the country." <br>
<br>
After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the NIPC on Tuesday initially warned<br>
companies to beware of an increase in online activity but offered no specific details. "Infrastructure owners and<br>
operators should be at a heightened state of alert and should implement appropriate security measures--both<br>
physical and cyber," the NIPC said. <br>
<br>
Several other known online vandals have also defaced sites this week, and an old computer virus has been<br>
renamed WTC, apparently in response to Tuesday's terrorist attack. <br>
<br>
Fluffi Bunni, a habitual Web site defacer who has claimed responsibility for digitally tagging several open-source<br>
sites, broke into the DNS (domain name system) server of a Web hosting company, Newsbytes.com reported<br>
Friday. <br>
<br>
By modifying the DNS entries, visitors to thousands of site were redirected to a page declaring: "Fluffi Bunni<br>
goes JIHAD." <br>
<br>
Also on Friday, the NIPC warned that at least one person had renamed a computer virus--the LifeStages<br>
virus--to WTC.txt.vbs in an apparent attempt to cause it to spread further.
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